List of United States Marine Corps Acronyms and Expressions - A

A

• above my/your pay grade – expression denying responsibility or authority (indicating that the issue should be brought to higher-ranking officials).

• acquire – euphemism denoting theft, sometimes jokingly referred to as "tactical".

• acting jack – assistant drill instructor, or an acting Corporal.

• AHA – Ammunition Holding Area, where ammo is stored and issued. See also ASP.

• ahoy – traditional nautical greeting, used for hailing other boats.

• airdale – person who works in aviation; not to be confused with Airedale Terrier.

• Air Force salute – to say, "I don't know" by a shrug.

• Air Force pockets or Army gloves – an individual's hands being inside his or her pockets.

• ALICE – All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, an older form of combat gear still in occasional use in some Marine activities, replaced by MOLLE and ILBE.

• all hands – entire ship's company or unit personnel, including all officers and enlisted personnel; also, the official Navy magazine.

• alphas or class As – Service Alpha uniform from the phonetic letter A.

• amtrac or amtrack – portmanteau for amphibious tractor; not to be confused with the railroad company Amtrak.

• ANGLICO – Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.

• ant farm or ant hill – combat outpost with a large number of radio antennae visible.

• APC – large, white tablet formerly issued for minor discomfort, that was commonly (albeit mistakenly) called an "all-purpose capsule," in reality named after its ingredients: aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine; replaced by 800 mg ibuprofen today; less commonly refers to an armored personnel carrier, primarily an Army term.

• ARMY – Aren't Ready for Marines Yet/Aren't Really Men Yet, pejorative backronym used by other branches.

• Asiatic – mildly deranged or eccentric as a result of too much foreign duty, or one who has missed too many boats.

• ASP – Ammunition Supply Point, where ammo is stored and issued. See also AHA.

• ASVAB waiver – implies that someone did not achieve a passing score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB.

• as you were – order to disregard the immediately-preceding order.

• aviation units – See also active squadrons, inactive squadrons, & aviation support units
  • HAMS – Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron, also H&MS
  • HMX – Marine Helicopter Squadron Executive
  • HMH – Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
  • HML – Marine Light Helicopter Squadrons
  • HMLA – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron
  • HMLAT – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron
  • HMM – Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron
  • HMT – Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron
  • HMMT – Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron
  • LAAD Bn – Low-altitude Air Defense Battalion
  • MACG – Marine Air Command Group
  • MACS – Marine Air Control Squadron
  • MAMS – Marine Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • MASS – Marine Air Support Squadron
  • MALS – Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron
  • MATCS – Marine Air Traffic Control Squadron
  • MOTS – Marine Operational Training Squadrons
  • MTACS – Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron
  • MWSS – Marine Wing Support Squadron
  • MWCS – Marine Wing Communications Squadron
  • MWHS – Marine Wing Headquarters squadron
  • VMAQ – Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
  • VMA – Marine Attack Squadron
  • VMAT – Marine Attack Training Squadron
  • VMB – Marine Bombing Squadrons
  • VMC – Marine Composite Squadrons
  • VMCJ – Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadrons
  • VMD – Marine Photographic Squadrons
  • VMF – Marine Fighter Squadron
  • VMF(N) – Marine Night Fighter Squadrons
  • VMFA – Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
  • VMFA(AW) – Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron
  • VMFAT – Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron
  • VMFP – Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
  • VMGR – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron
  • VMGRT – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Training Squadron
  • VMJ – Marine Reconnaissance Squadron / Marine Target Towing Detachments
  • VML – Marine Glider Squadron
  • VMM – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron
  • VMMT – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron
  • VMO – Marine Observation Squadron
  • VMP – Marine Patrol Squadron
  • VMR – Marine Transport Squadrons
  • VMS – Marine Scouting Squadrons
  • VMSB – Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons
  • VMTB – Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadrons
  • VMTD – Marine Target Towing Detachments
  • VMU – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron
  • VMX – Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron
  • ZMQ – Marine Barrage Balloon Squadrons

• aye-aye or aye – nautical term used as a response to orders meaning "I understand the orders I have received and will carry them out"; aye (descended from Middle English yai) dialectical for 'yes', once common in the regions from which the Royal Navy drew its sailors.